Carnegie Mellon University - Andrew Carnegie Online Archives

A letter from Florence Anderson, secretary at the Carnegie Corporation of New York asking James M. Bovard, President of the Carnegie Institute, if he or the Carnegie Library would like a group of letters she found written to Andrew Carnegie about his gifts to Pittsburgh.

A handwritten letter from George H. Clapp, president of the Western University of Pennsylvania's Board of Trustees, to Samuel Harden Church in regards to Church's letter, presumably dated January 20, 1908, to Andrew Carnegie in response to a letter dated January 14, 1908 in which Carnegie asks Church what he would do with five or ten million dollars. In the letter dated January 20, 1908 Church extols Carnegie's various philanthropic ventures and outlines how he thinks the 5-10 million dollars should be spent. He proposes that Carnegie ""take in charge"" and that there be a ""marriage"" of the Carnegie Institute, Carnegie Institute Technical Schools and the Western University of Pennsylvania. He outlines the different colleges within the Western University of Pennsylvania that he calls the ""seven sisters"" with an eighth department, the Allegheny Observatory. The assets of the Western University of Pennsylvania are also laid out. He notes that the Western University of Pennsylvania would bring to the union their charter that gives the right to confer degrees. The Carnegie Institute and the Carnegie Institute, Technical Schools did not have the legal right to confer degrees at that time. Church makes reference to John D. Rockefellers endowment of the Chicago University. He then outlines the programs that would be offered by the merger. The recently purchased land for the site of the new ""Pittsburgh University"" in Oakland a neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. is mentioned in relation to its close proximity to the Carnegie Institute and the Carnegie Institute Technical Schools. Church lists four conditions that should be presented by Carnegie. He then provides a list of where the money should be spent and how much money is to be spent on the University (Western University of Pennsylvania), Carnegie Museum, Carnegie Art Department and the Carnegie Technical Schools. Clapp acknowledges his reading of the letter dated January 20, 1908 and hopes that Andrew Carnegie gives Church's letter careful consideration. He remarks that Church ""neglected"" to mention in his letter to Andrew Carnegie the need for Carnegie to provide a provision for scholarships for Technical School graduates. He also proposes the idea of scholarships for honor students of local high schools in Allegheny County and preferably in western Pennsylvania. Clapp would like to see Andrew Carnegie get together with Dr. Samuel B. McCormick, chancellor of the Western University of Pennsylvania, to discuss the plan Church suggests for the union of the Carnegie Institute, Carnegie Institute, Technical Schools and the Western University of Pennsylvania. Clapp also suggests that Church, W. J. Holland and J. H. Reed join in on the discussion. He then mentions Dr. McCormick's reluctance to purchase land on the hill (presumably in Oakland) for the Western University of Pennsylvania. Clapp believes that the tract of land (for the university) could be increased to 60 or 70 acres that would then bring the whole ""scheme"" to over 100 acres and Schenley Park would be the ""playground"". He believes that Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Laboratory is overlooked and it would be great if they could ""get the use of enough park land for an arboretum"" that ""could be established on the University grounds"". Clapp then makes corrections to Church's letter of January 20, 1908.

A signed typescript letter from George Bodenhorn, Superintendent of the Cleveland District Office of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, to Andrew Carnegie recounting an enjoyable visit to the Carnegie Institute by 34 company agents during a recent trip to Pittsburgh. Bodenhorn thanks Carnegie for making the Institute possible through his generosity and especially compliments the courtesy and attention of Institute Custodian Charles R. Cunningham.

Henry Clay Frick writes to the Carnegie Free Library Commission of Pittsburgh and provides documentation detailing the transfer of one million dollars to his account for use with relation to the construction of Carnegie Library and Complex. Frick offers an accounting of vouchers paid: leaving a balance of $722,469.10.

Herbert Smith, curator at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, writes to Andrew Carnegie and describes the activities of the Boys Natural History Club, and other youth activities associated with the Institute. Smith states that it is his hope that the collection of specimens will become a fad in Pittsburgh. Smith also suggests a series of scientific lectures.

An invitation to the opening exercises of the Carnegie Library Building, Pittsburgh, for dedication by Mr. Carnegie on November 5, 1895

A typescript letter from John A. Poynton, Andrew Carnegie's personal secretary, to Col. Samuel Harden Church explaining the portrait painted by Princess Lwoff-Parlaghy of Andrew Carnegie is being packed and will be shipped to the Institute (Carnegie Institute). Carnegie is sending the portrait to the Institute ""because it is the costliest picture of him, by far, ever purchased"". On Andrew Carnegie stationary, signed in ink by J.A. Poynton. Includes handwritten note at bottom of letter from Samuel H. Church to Mr. Cunningham (custodian of buildings and grounds at the Carnegie Institute), dated May 22, 1914, stating that Mr. Church is going to ""deposit"" the picture in the ""President's Room"" and asks that Cunningham notify him when it arrives.

A signed typescript letter from John A. Poynton to Samuel Harden Church indicating that he will send Church as many copies of Andrew Carnegie's testimony before the Commission on Industrial Relations as he needs. On personal letterhead of Andrew Carnegie.

A signed typescript letter from John A. Poynton to Samuel Harden Church in response to Church's letter of the 16th. Poynton informs Church that the printer has been instructed to send him one thousand copies of the transcript of Andrew Carnegie's testimony before the Commission on Industrial relations and that they were presently engaged in addressing copies to railroad executives throughout the country. On personal letterhead of Andrew Carnegie.

A typescript letter (signed) from John A. Poynton to Samuel Harden Church. Poynton thanks Church for his letter of the 16th and makes reference to Andrew Carnegie's request that Harden re-extend an invitation to President Wilson to come to Pittsburgh. On personal letterhead of Andrew Carnegie.